Statistical Background Note 2013: Rethinking Economic Growth - Towards Productive and Inclusive Arab Societies

The ILO/UNDP report examined Arab labour market trends and structures over the two decades leading up to the Arab Spring in 2011, offering insights into the underlying causes for the uprisings that have since spread from Tunisia across the Arab world. It investigated labour supply, demand, and the institutional framework and their impacts on employment and decent work, including social protection and social dialogue.

The regional classification adopted in this note follows mainly that of Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM). The only distinction is that it separates Middle East countries into two groups: Middle East excluding GCC and GCC. In addition, this note, first, excludes Iran from the Middle East and, second, identifies separately nationals and non-nationals in the GCC regional aggregates.